MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The story of recognizing LGBTQ history, the way school districts historically recognize Women’s History Month, Black History Month or Hispanic Heritage Month has become a tale of two counties.
While a majority of Broward County School Board member decided to recognize the contributions of LGBTQ community members to our nation’s history, the majority of Miami-Dade School Board members, for the third year in a row, have not.
PRISM Executive Director Maxx Fenning said that has a lot to do with the makeup of those boards.
“All of these recognitions are simply a way for us to acknowledge the contributions of people who have experienced so much struggle and so much strife, because of who they are, whether it be because they are Hispanic, or whether it be because they are African-American or Black, or because they are LGBT,” said Fenning. “So many folks have faced so much hardship based on discrimination and bigotry, and it is simply a way of recognizing that, and more importantly, celebrating and recognizing the way in which so many people in such a diverse country of people have been able to overcome those challenges and being able to overcome that adversity and discrimination.”
Wednesday night’s vote in Miami-Dade came after board members heard passionate public comments on the item, which stated does not affect curriculum, classroom instruction or instructional materials.
School board member Lucia Baez-Geller, who sponsored the item, stated recognizing the contributions of LGBTQ community members to “the fabric of American society” could help foster a sense of belonging.
The idea of telegraphing to LGBTQ youth that they are seen and heard is coming at a time when a recently published Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found LGBTQ youth are less likely than their peers to feel connected to school and more likely to experience poor mental health and suicide ideation.
“I want to make sure that all young people, especially LGBTQ know they are seen and valued know that they are recognized,” said Fenning. “Even if a school board is going to vote to pass a proclamation like this, there is so much richness and community and richness within Miami-Dade County, there are people here for them, that are fighting for them, and they can and will go on to do great things.”
Fenning believes things could change as we look ahead to November’s school board run-off races and the swearing-in of those who voters chose during the August election.
“In August, many of those makeups were shifted or will soon be shifting once folks are sworn in across the state, including some of those runoffs in November, which could very well change what we’re experiencing in Miami-Dade,” he said.
Local 10 News reached out to Miami-Dade’s superintendent’s office for comment on the school board’s vote, but they instead referred us to remarks he made prior to the vote.
“We all care about each other and that we work toward a culture that is kind, that is respectful, that is responsive to the needs of all of our students,” Superintendent Jose Dotres said.
Miami-Dade School Board LGBTQ Month proposal:
Parental Rights to Education: Home Learning Resources
Library of Congress: Primary Sources and Lesson Guide: https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/lgbtq-activism-and-contributions/
LOC: The History of Pride, How Activists Fought to Create LGBTQ+ Pride: https://www.loc.gov/ghe/cascade/index.html?appid=90dcc35abb714a24914c68c9654adb67
University of Northern Colorado: During LBGTQ+ History Month (celebrated in October), the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (GSRC) at the University of Northern Colorado highlights historical figures in LGBTQ+ History. https://www.unco.edu/gender-sexuality-resource-center/resources/historical-figures.aspx
The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum: LGBTQ+ Women Who Made History https://womenshistory.si.edu/blog/lgbtq-women-who-made-history
BBC: 12 LGBT icons from history you should know about https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/55276399.amp
CDC: Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report https://www.cdc.gov/yrbs/dstr/pdf/YRBS-2023-Data-Summary-Trend-Report.pdf